‘Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m used to complicated. What else can it be when you stand in the middle, God on one side and his flawed people on the other, eh? Have you told me everything about your mission here?’

‘Well, as much as I can. I don’t mean I’m hiding anything, I just don’t know much.’

‘Your organisation, South what-what, is it linked to these people doing the sabotage?’

‘Absolutely not! But I do want to find them, find someone who represents them. I’m a bit like you. I’m in the middle too. That’s what we do, try to get two sides talking to each other.’

‘So maybe that’s their plan. They are hoping you will lead them to these people. You must be careful. Whoever you meet will be added to the list of suspects.’

‘Where does that leave you?’

‘Me? I’m already a suspect. They don’t understand me. I talk to everyone, no matter who they are – you know, the good, the bad, the ugly, I talk to them all. But, for sure, we must be careful, you and I. Do they know where you are staying?’

‘I don’t think so. I had a reservation at a hotel but I didn’t show up. I took a taxi to Mirabel’s.’

‘But they know you are with me.’

‘So what happens now?’

‘Well, we were supposed to meet someone at Raja’s, someone who says he’d heard rumours about what happened to Lesedi, but when the man came apparently the police were at the shop.’

‘Looking for him?’

‘No, they are not that clever. I asked Patel, he’s the manager there, to deliver some mealie-meal to the church this morning and they saw his van at our compound so they came round this evening, asking him why he was helping the Mozambicans. Now Patel has got nervous. He has to keep the local officials sweet or they make life difficult for him.’

‘Damn! Is there any other way we can reach this guy? I’m not here to play detective, but the more I know about who’s doing what to whom, the better.’

‘According to Patel, this man, he used to work for the family at a business they have in Malelane and apparently he saw something or heard something on the day that Motlantshe’s boy was killed.’

‘Did Patel say what he’d seen? His employee, I mean.’

‘No. He sounded pretty vague. Just something about a couple of strange faces in town, a car he didn’t recognise. These are small places – everyone knows everyone.’

‘Do you know where he is now?’

‘Patel told me he’s gone back to Malelane. I have his number and I spoke to him from the shop. I don’t want to use my phone till I get there. These idiots are not so organised, but why take chances?’